Gas engine



(No Model.) H 8 L. H. NASH.

GAS ENGINE.

N0. 386,211. Patented July 1-7, 1888.

/llllll ll/I/Ji 1 INVEJVTOR.

Attorneys,

4 SheetsSheet 1.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2. L. H. NASH.

GAS ENGINE. No. 386,211. Patented July 17, 1888.

iVA'I/IIIIIl/IIIII WI TJV ESSES AttorneydQ (N0 Model.) 4 Sheets-She.et 3 L. H. NASH.

GAS ENGINE.

No. 386,211. Patented July 17, 1888 WITNESSES 1.7V VEJVTOR .lltto'rneyS,

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

L. H. NASH.

GAS ENGINET No. 386,211. Patented July 17, 1888.

I g; f 3 V A w L? K N Q1 Q a) 5%, W ig X \6% \i I w KQITJVESSES. I INVENTOR,

I E I Q Attorneys,

ihvrrnn STATES LEWIS HALLOCK NASH, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIQHAL METER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

GAS-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 386,211, dated July 17, 1888.

vApplication filed flow-ember 5. 1885. Renewed October 5, 1856.

T0 at? whom it may onccrn:

lie it known that I, LEWIS HALLOCK NASH, acltrzen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, 1n the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Gas-Engines, of which the following is a. specification.

lily invention relates to gasengincs; and the ob ects of my improvements are to avoid the use of valves for the power-cylinder; to proyule for admitting and exhausting the charge intoand from the power-cylinder by the operation of the piston itself; to effect the displacement of the waste gases from the combustion chamber bythe incoming charge, whichacfs to drive out the waste gases in a direction opposite to that in which the charge caters; to' utilize a closure of the piston-operating'connections as a compression chamber, for wh ch the )ower-pistou forms to compression-piston an supplies the charges for the engine therefrom; to regulate the speed and power of the engine, andto simplify the construction of the engine.

The means by which the waste gases are displaced from the cylinder by the incoming charge consists, primarily, of a construction by which the combustion-chamber is practically'divided into separate passages, one communicating with the inlet' and the other with the exhaust in such a manner that the inflowing charge will be directed in a course which re'verscsits fiow,and thereby caused to return upon itself through the passage leading to the exhaust, and thereby expel the products of the old charge without mixing therewith. In currying out this operation the means for effecting the division of the c0mbustioil-chamber may be carried by the piston, and is therefore movable or formed within the cylinder walls as a fixture with identical effect and result, and myinveniion in thisparticular is, broadly, a means arranged within or forming a part of the combustiou-chambcr,whereby it is formed into separate spaces or passages for effecting a return-flow of the incoming charge upon it self, for the purpose slated.

Referring to the drawings, l have shown in Figure 1 a gziscnginc in vertical longitudinal section, the 'piston being in the position of its H work.

extreme forward str=.-E.-;c, and the arrows illus- Agnin renewed J mm 21, 1887. Serial No. 242,015. (No model.)

trating the entrance of the charge and its rcturn-flow in the cylinder to drive out the waste products of the preceding charge; Fig.

2, a similar view showing the piston at the beginning of its forward stroke; Fig. 3, a crosssection taken on the line we of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 represents a modification of the means for dividing the combustion-chamber; Fig. 5,

a cross-section thereof on the line 7 y, and

Fig. 6 a cross-section thereof on the line z z,-. and Fig. 7 represents another modification of the means for dividing the comlmstion-cluunher, and Fig. 8 a cross-section thereof.

The power-cylinder A opens into a closure, B, within which thepiston-connections work. The outer end of the cylinder is closed by a hood or cylinder-extension, O, which forms the combustiouchamber D. One' or more supply-ports, a, may be placed in the side of the passage, b, with the closure B, which, in fact,

forms the compression-chamber for supplying the engine. In that side of the cylinder opposite to the supply-port a may be made one or more exhaust-ports, 0, connecting with the discharge-pipe, and, like t-hCSUPPiy-POITS QI'G so placed as to be uncovered by the piston on its extreme forward stroke. The piston has suitable packing-rings,d,and may be of the trunk f0rm,and, like the cylinder, opens into closure, within which its connecting-rod G and crank is the power-transmitting crank-shaft.

I know that it is not new to utilize the infiowing charge of a gas-engine to displace and drive out the waste products of combustion of the preceding charge; but I have devised a new way of doing this, so as to prevent the new charge from mixing with the waste pro ducts.

My plan embraces a division of the combustion-chambcr,whcther by fixed or movable means, so long as such means effect the inflow of the charge in a man nor to reverse its direction course within the combustion chamber, for the purpose stated. In Figs. 1, 2, 3, 7, and S such means are shown as being formed upon and moving with the piston, and in Figs. 4,5, and G such division means are shown asbeing formed within the cylinder-walls. The moving division device may be a diameter projectiog plate, J, as in Figs. 1, 2. and'3, or atubular 'proj'ection,'as in .Figs. 7 and 8. In either form it is placed upon the lace of't-he piston and projects backward into the cylinder space, so

as to divide it into two passages 01' spaces. f and g,'as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. .To allow this dividing partio be as long as possible, a reccss, h, may be formed in the interior wall ofthe cylinder-extension toallow the full move ment of the piston.

With the diameter projecting plate J, I prefer to use a perforated plate, J, to formaconti nuation-spacc, e, ofthe supply-port a at the face of the pistonwhen the latter is at the extreme of its forwa'rtlstrokc, as shown in Fig.

. 1, into which space the charge flows from the port a, andfromwhich it is directed in separate parallel streams into the cylinder-spacef, wherein they unite in a flowing volume. On the other side of this dividing part is the exhaust-port, and in order to direct and change the course of' the inflow directly toward said exhaust-port I form the inner wall, f, of the cylinder cap or extension so curved in'relation to the inlet-passage f and the exhaustpassage gas to cause and assi'stin the displac -ing action of the incoming charge without forming eddies, that would tend to mix the contents of the chamber. In this displacing action the incoming charge is reversed in its direction, the inflow moving'iu' one space toward the cap, upon which itimpingcs, and is turned back in the opposite direction,driving out the waste gases before it on the opposite side of the dividing'device.

In Figs. 7 and 8 this identical result' is obtained by means of a tubular projection from the face of the pis ton,-as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the inlet being through the tube apcl the return direction on its outer side. For small engines these plans will answer very well, and they have the advantage of economy and simplicity; but for large engines the heat of the burning gases is too great to admit of the use of these means for dividing the inflowing from the outflowing gases, and therefore I prefer in large engines to form the inlet-passagef in the 'cylintier-wall, as shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, so that the incoming charge will be convclyed'direct to the end of the cylinder-chamber andbe turned back over the end of the wall J into the combustion-chambcr space 9, driving out the products of the preceding charge. In either of these plans I may use a pistonor a.

' phmger with the packing ou'the piston or in t 0 cylinder.

The passagoor pipe I) has a cheek-valve, k,

which serves to allow the charge to pass into the engine from the pressure-reservoir B and to prevent the return of the charge into the said pressure-rcscrvoi r. A governor, E, serves to control'a'ud rcgulatethe flow of the charge from the pressure-reservoir through the pipe b, and is operated from the crankshaf t through the belt 1 and pulleym. The pressure-reservoir is supplied with gas and air through the pipe 2?, which has a cheek-valve, j, in'a mannerwhich Ishall presently state. Y The operation of the engine is asfollo'ws: Gas and air are supplied in suitable proportions through the pipe 2', and when the piston is on its back-stroke out of chamber B the gas and air are sucked in th rough thel valvej into the chamber B. By the next forward stroke ofthe piston the gases in chamber B are compressed thereby to some extent, and as. soon as the piston .has opened the ports a and 0. so as to allow the charge to enter through the port a and the'eithanst gases-to escape through portc,the pressure in chamber B opens valve k, and the charge flows through pipeb out the waste products from the cylinderchamber, as shown by the arrows in the figures. The piston .now begins its backward strok c, closing ports a and c and compressing the gases contained 'in the combustion-chainher, at the same time drawing in a new charge into chamber B through the valvej and pipe and port a into chamber D, and thence forces It will be seen that the compressionchamber- B has a large amount of clearancespace, and that the whole of the charge is contained in this clearance-space under pressure priorto the opening of the inlet-port a by the piston.

As soon as the latter is opened, the coinpressed gases rush through the connectingpipes, as shown by ,the arrows. It the governor were to close the passage of the gases through the pipe. b entirely, no new charge would he admitted to the cylinder. and the 1 compressed gases in chamber B would simply expanthon the backstroke of the piston, and no new charge would be drawn in through the valve j, because the chamber B wouldbe conipletcly filled. If, however, the passage b is part] yopen at that instant, (shown in Fig. 1,) as much of the charge will flow through the said pipe as can issue through the said opening during the time that the port (1 remains ancovered, which quantity will constitute the next explosive charge for the engine. The remaining portion of the compressed gases will remain in chamber B and will expand as Y the piston returns. until the pressure therein is .small enough to allowv a fresh supply of gas to enter through the pipe 2', which will be just enough to make up for what was admitted to the cylinder by the governor. The quantity of each charge is thus regulated by the governor by controlling the area of the supply-opening through the pipe b. Hence I utilize the clearance-space of the pressure-chamber to contain more or less of the gaseous mixture not required by the engine, and the regulation of the speed and power of the engine is thus effeeted by the combinedaction of the governor and a pressuretchamber having a large clear,- ance-space, which acts as a storage space to hold the surplus gaseous mixture not required for the charge. In this method of governing the engine it is not necessary that. the crankconnections should be contained in the pressure-chamber; but such arrangement enables me to utilize the forward action of a trunk or' plunger piston to compress the charge, and thus avoid the necessity of a separate coinpression-chamber or stulfing-boxes to divide the pressure-chamber from the crank-connections, and thereby secures the construction of avery'simple and cheap engine.- I may, however, utiiize an independent pressure-chamber having suflicicnt clearance space with my method of admitting the charge.

It' will be understood that, while I have shown theengine as operating to compress its charge by the forward stroke of the piston, it

is not necessary to the operation of the piston in admitting and discharging the gases from the power-cylinder that the charge should be thus compressed, but that the operation of the said parts will be the same however the charge may be compressedand supplied. I prefer tocflect the lighting of the charge by the electric spark; but it will be understood that other or mechanical means may be used for this purpose. if desired. I have also shown a simple form of governor; but it will be un-. derstood that other forms of governor'may be used. In the operation of governing the engine as herein described, it is not material what the particular-relation of the compres sionpump is to the power-cylinder so long as the said pump has the necessary clearancespace.

The combination of the power-cylinder and piston of a gas-engine with a. compressionpump, a reservoir into which each charge is compressed, having free communication with said compression-pump. and a governor controlling the quantity of the charge from said compression-pump, whereby the excess of the charge contained in the reservoir expands upon the hack-stroke of the piston to properly timtt the supply for saidreservoir for supplyingtheengine, is not specifically claimed here- .in, but is made the subject of a subsequent separateapplication fora Serial No. 215,419.

I claim- 1. The power-cylinder having the inlet and exhaust ports arranged to be'operated by the piston, in combination with a combustionchamber divided into separate passages and having a curved interior end wall, whereby the charge is directed into the chamber toward its curved wall-and returned by the action of the latter, substantially as described.

2. The combination, in a gas-engine, of a power-cylinderhaving iuletand exhaust ports, and a piston adapted to uncover the said cyl inder-ports at the end of its power strolte,with means, substantially such as described, whereby the waste gases are ex pellcd by the incoming charge.

.3. The combination. with the poweuoyliuder having itsiulet and discharge ports formed in the walls thereof, of a piston adapted to operate said ports, having a face projection for dividing the combustion-chamber, substantially as described, for the purposespecified.

4. The combination, with the power-cylinder having its inlet and discharge ports formed in the walls thereof, of apis'ton adapted to 0p erate said ports, having a face projection for dividing the combustion-chamber, and a per tjorated plate arranged to form an interior ere tension of the inlet-port, substantially as de scribed, for the purpose specified.

5. The combination of tho power-cylinder and a cap thereof forming the combustion-chamber, having its inner wall curved, with apiston having a central face projection cooperating with said curved wall to divide the combustion-chamber, substantially as de scribed, for the purpose specified.

6. In combination, in a gas engine, the power-cylinder having wall inlet and exhaust posts and a curved cap, the piston having a central face projection, the supply-passage b, a governor controlling the latter, the reser-. voir B, and-the valves 11 constructed for operation substantially as described.

In testimony whereofI have hereunto set my patent by me under .hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEWIS HALLOCK NASH.

Witnesses:

A. E. H. JOHNSON, J. W. HAMILTON JOHNSON. 

